Show Notes
Mokuhanga can be a standalone medium or combined with other artistic practices, offering endless opportunities for experimentation and creative exploration. In this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with printmaker Karen Kunc, who has worked with mokuhanga for many years. She integrates it into her broader printmaking practice, which includes book arts, mixed media, letterpress, Western woodblock, and more. We discuss her early encounters with mokuhanga, her travels to Japan, and her experience printing with Akira Kurosaki. Karen also shares how nature influences her work, the importance of taking creative risks, and her perspective on mokuhanga today. Plus, we talk about her own Constellation Studios and its role in her artistic journey. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me at [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Karen Kunc - website, Instagram
Aqua Alta - 26" x 72", woodcut Jocelyn Art Museum - is a fine arts museum located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The museum was opened in 1931. More info, here. The Agony and The Ecstasy - is a biographical novel by the American author Irving Stone (1903-1989). It goes into detail of the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). The novel was published in 1961. Awaji Island - located in Japan's Seto Inland Sea, has a rich history dating back to ancient times. According to the Kojiki(Records of Ancient Matters), it is considered the birthplace of Japan—the first island created by the gods Izanagi and Izanami in Japanese mythology. Historically, Awaji played a vital role as a strategic hub for maritime trade and travel, connecting the Kansai region with Shikoku and Kyushu. During the Edo period, it was governed as part of the Tokushima Domain under the Hachisuka clan. Today, Awaji is renowned for its natural beauty, traditional industries such as Awaji Ningyō Jōruri (puppet theater), and its connection to mainland Japan via the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge—the world's longest suspension bridge. Kyoto Seika University - located in Kyoto, Japan, is a leading private institution specializing in art and design education. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as painting, sculpture, graphic design, and manga. Known for its rigorous curriculum, Kyoto Seika emphasizes both practical skills and creative expression. With a strong tradition of nurturing talented artists and designers, the university fosters a dynamic environment that encourages innovation and artistic growth. Akira Kurosaki (1937-2019) - was one of the most influential woodblock print artists of the modern era. His work, while seemingly abstract, moved people with its vibrant colour and powerful composition. He was a teacher and invented the "Disc Baren," which is a great baren to begin your mokuhanga journey with. At the 2021 Mokuhanga Conference in Nara, Japan there was a tribute exhibit of his life works. Azusa Gallery has a nice selection of his work, here.
Aurora - 13" x 17" colour woodcut (1982) ukiyo-e - is a multi colour woodblock print generally associated with the Edo Period (1603-1867) of Japan. What began in the 17th Century as prints of only a few colours, evolved into an elaborate system of production and technique into the Meiji Period (1868-1912). With the advent of photography and other forms of printmaking, ukiyo-e as we know it today, ceased production by the late 19th Century.
Utagawa Kuniteru (1808-1876) Sumo Wrestler (1861) Peter Max - is an American artist who is associated with the American Pop Art movement of the 1950's and 1960's. He used vibrant colours in his work. Max's art was seen on posters, paintings, even running shoes. More info, here.
More from The Unfinished Print : A Mokuhanga Podcast
One of the things that I have observed about mokuhanga printmakers is that they are always striving to get better in their practice. Mokuhanga is a printmaking medium that challenges the maker in many different ways, and navigating those challenges through hard work and experimentation can ultimately be a very rewarding experience. On this episode of The Unfinished Print, a mokuhanga podcast, I speak with Aafke Ytsma, a printmaker currently splitting her time between Germany and the Netherlands. Aafke is a full-time artist who pushes the possibilities of what one can do with mokuhanga. We discuss how and why Aafke makes such large prints, and how watercolour influences her work. Aafke tells me about her love for the prints of the sōsaku-hanga movement and how they inspire her own practice. We also talk about the risks and rewards of being a full-time artist, crowdfunding and grants. Aafke goes into detail about how she makes her prints through mark-making, and how that process shapes her work. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Aafke Ytsma - website, Instagram
For the past few years, I have begun to study Japanese washi in my own time. As a mokuhanga printmaker, and through The Unfinished Print, I have been taught to see Japanese washi in many different ways: how it is made, how it is used, and, more importantly for me, how people view this indelible medium in our mokuhanga practice. I speak with Paul Denhoed, a paper researcher and papermaker based in Japan. I had the opportunity to attend a few of Paul's lectures here in Toronto at the Japanese Paper Place, and I came away from those lectures intrigued and wanting to learn more about Japanese washi. Paul discusses his work in Japan helping to make washi, what the term washi means, and how the different paper producers in Japan work—and don't work—together. Paul shares his experiences with Richard Flavin, and Hiroaki Imai. We look at how these experiences shaped his work today and continue to shape his work into tomorrow. We also go into detail about kōzo and one of the key ingredients in Japanese washi, neri: how it is used and how it helps create beautiful washi.
Blending different cultures, whether artistically or internationally, comes into play in everyone's mokuhanga. Your work is infused with your life, your city, your family, and even cultures from abroad. I personally think it's inescapable, and that's what makes mokuhanga such a beautiful medium to explore. On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with Inga Eičaitė, a mokuhanga printmaker who splits her time between London, England, and Lithuania. Inga and I discuss her mokuhanga work and what inspires her to make it, her love of anime, mixing different printmaking mediums with her mokuhanga, comparing the use of Korean hanji paper and Japanese washi, and making emakimono. We also discuss how community has become an important part of Inga's practice through art fairs, and Inga speaks about her time in Lithuania and her desire to help grow mokuhanga there. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Inga Eičaitė - website, Instagram
Producers of mokuhanga prints who also teach art at the academic level have always intrigued me. The balance between the solitary work of a printmaker and the responsibilities of teaching a wide range of artistic disciplines must be both complex and, at times, challenging. It raises questions such as: How much of my own creative journey can I pursue while also dedicating myself to students who look to me for guidance as both an artist and a teacher? On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with Melissa Schulenburg—an independent printmaker, member of the Mokuhanga Sisters collective, and Charles A. Dana Professor of Art & Art History at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Our interview explores Melissa's work as both an educator and a practicing mokuhanga printmaker. We discuss the role of tradition in her practice, how her visits to Japan, participation in MI-LAB, and involvement with the Mokuhanga Sisters have shaped her artistic development. We also take a look inside her printmaking toolbox, discussing the papers, pigments, and tools she relies on, as well as her deep connection to nature and the influence it has on her work. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Melissa Schulenberg - Instagram note* Melissa's website is under construction at the time of publishing. harimaze-e (貼交絵) is a format of mokuhanga that was particularly popular during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). It consists of a single sheet of paper onto which multiple separate images were designed and printed. These compositions could include individual scenes arranged together on one sheet, sometimes functioning as diptychs or triptychs. Harimaze-e were commonly produced in a chūban format, measuring approximately 24.8 × 36.3 cm.
The longer you create mokuhanga, the more your individual tastes reveal themselves in your own work, your style, your ideas, and your unique way of seeing the world. These are the qualities that make a mokuhanga artist or craftsperson shine, and they represent the place many practitioners aspire to reach. On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with someone who has spent decades refining his style, developing his ideas, and defining his relationship with mokuhanga at the same time exploring a variety of printmaking mediums. Daniel Kelly lives and works in Kyoto, Japan, and for many years his work has been exhibited in galleries all around the world. It can also be found in private collections and in some of the world's most important museums. We discuss Daniel's studies under Tomikichiro Tokuriki and the lasting influence Tokuriki has had on his work. Daniel explains his preference for papers from outside Japan and why he generally avoids using Japanese washi. He also details his creative process, discusses his use of multiple printmaking mediums alongside mokuhanga, and he reflects on the advantages each brings to his practice. We also talk about galleries, selling work, and Daniel's views on tradition—and how, in some cases, it can hold artists back. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Daniel Kelly - website